What we check
- Front print quality. Under magnification a genuine card shows a fine dot pattern, crisp text and the right colours and holo pattern. Fakes are usually blurry, washed out or oversaturated, or use the wrong font.
- Feel. Fake cards feel like plastic and typically manoeuvre differently when applying a little curve to them.
- Back alignment. Genuine Pokémon backs have a specific blue swirl pattern and consistent border width. Fakes get this wrong almost every time.
- Light test. Authentic cards have a thin black layer between the front and back paper; counterfeits typically don't.
- Weight and thickness. Stack-and-measure check against a known-genuine reference card from the same era.
- UV check on suspect cards. Fluorescent reactions differ between print runs.
Our promise
If a card you buy from Misty's ever turns out to be counterfeit, verified by us, we'll refund the full purchase price plus your return shipping. No restocking fee. If it's not real, you get your money back. Simple.
Where our stock comes from
We source from three main channels: direct purchase from collectors; sealed-product purchases from the authorised Pokémon distributor in Australia; and verified estate sales. We don't buy from anonymous overseas bulk lots, full stop.
Buy-list intake gets the same authentication pass before anything goes on the website. We've turned away more counterfeit cards than we'd like to admit.
Found a problem?
Email orders@mistyscollectables.com.au with your order number and we'll get back to you within one business day. Photos help, but we'll sort it out either way.